More megawatts

Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed four long-term power purchase contracts with winning bidders in a competitive solicitation program designed to attract new power generation facilities to help serve the region's growing power needs.

The contracts represent a potential generating capacity of 1,351 megawatts (MW) and bring the results of SCE's new generation initiative to a total of 2,556 MW, enough power to serve 1.7 million average Southern California households at a point in time. Contracts executed this week are subject to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approval.

The new contracts are the outcome of a plan recommended by SCE in response to state forecasts of inadequate new power plant construction.